Ischemia-reperfusion injury is a general term for an injury which occurs after blood circulation is restarted in an organic tissue fallen into ischemia when an excision operation or ablation of various organs is conducted. Such injury also occurs when blood circulation is restarted after being stopped for the transplantation of an organ. Thus, such an injury frequently occurs in many tissues, such as kidney, liver, lungs, pancreas and intestines as well as heart and brain.
So far, it has been believed that ischemia-reperfusion injury is caused by a rise in an energy metabolism or an increase in an active oxygen species by rapid reoxygenation, or a lipid peroxide and the like. However, the details of the mechanism still remain unknown. Under such circumstances, it is expected that if the active oxygen species is eliminated and the production of the lipid peroxide is inhibited, it will be possible to prevent the reduction of tissue function and the necrosis of the tissue to thereby make the treatment and prophylaxis for various diseases possible.
Various agents for eliminating the active oxygen species or antioxidants have been proposed. However, these agents are not very effective for the treatment and prophylaxis of ischemia-reperfusion injury.
Hence, there is strong and urgent need for the development of a medicament for the treatment or prophylaxis of the ischemia-reperfusion injury.